Apparatus for fitting shoes



A ril 22, 1958 A. M. GREVE 2,831,250

APPARATUS FOR FITTING SHOES Filed March 29, 1954 2y M /9 EI L 23) I Z? l 1 3 INVEN TOR. Andrew M Grave I ATTORNEYS APPARATUS FOR FITTING SHOES Andrew M. Greve, San Mateo, Calif.

Application March 29, 1954, Serial No. 419,516

1 Claim. (Cl. 333) This invention relates to devices for fitting shoes and in particular is applicable for fitting children.

Devics and methods used at the present time for fitting childrens shoes frequently have been found to be unsatisfactory. Conventionally a foot measuring device of the Brannock type is used to obtain a rough approximation of the size of the childs foot and then a shoe of this size is fitted to the foot. A check is made to determine how the shoe fits by feeling the stretch of the leather. If the child is old enough to understand, he is also asked if it is too tight or too loose. Such devices and methods only make it possible to obtain an approximate fit because they fail to take into consideration other factors which may be important in obtaining a proper fit. For example, such methods and devices fail to take into consideration abnormalities of the foot such as those caused by pronation.

They also fail to determine the condition of the foot while it is walking.

In general, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device which can be used for fitting childrens shoes and will not be subject to the inadequacies of the above mentioned devices and methods.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shoe fitting device of the above character which will take imprints of a childs feet while the child is walking in a normal stride.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the above character which will take imprints of a childs feet so as to indicate the weight distribution upon the childs feet.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the above character which can be used by salesmen for fitting shoes or by doctors for diagnostic purposes in corrective work on defective feet.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the above character which is simple and easy to use and which can be easily moved from place to place.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the above character by which a permanent record will be made of the foot imprints of a child.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure l is a plan view of my device for recording the imprint of a persons feet, showing parts broken away and in section taken along the line l1 of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of my device taken along the line 22 of Figure 1 showing the ink pad in a retracted position.

Figure 3 is a view substantially similar to Figure 2 except that it shows the ink pad in a withdrawn position.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view taken along the line '-i4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a plan view of my size measuring member.

Figure 6 is a plan view of a portion of an impression States Patetlf M 2,831,250 Patented Apr. 22, 1958 receiving sheet showing a foot imprint thereon indicating the weight distribution upon the foot.

In general, the present invention consists of a device with means for taking imprints of a childs feet while the child is walking to thereby secure the size of the feet and the relative weight distribution on the various parts. Additional means are provided for measuring the size of the imprints to determine the shoe size required by the child.

The embodiment of my device shown'in the drawing consists of a substantially rectangular-shaped frame 11 having a bottom member 12, side walls 13 and 14, end wall 16 and an enlarged end portion 17. The frame 11 serves to carry a tray 19 and rollers 21 and 22.

The horizontal tray 19 is supported a slight distance above the bottom member 12 as shown in Figures 1 and 2 by members 23 and is provided with vertical end walls 24 and 26.

Rollers 21- and 22 may be mounted in the frame 11 in any suitable manner such as by brackets 27 and may be made of any conventional material such as wood or aluminum. Suitable means 28 are provided for spring loading roller 22 which may be of any suitable type such as the type well known in the art of window shade construction. The enlarged end portion 17 is provided in this instance to accommodate a spring loaded roller ofthe proper strength.

A thin, flexible strip of material 31 has one end fastened to the roller 22 and has the other end detachably connected at 32 to ink pad 33. The ink pad 33 is adapted to pass over roller 21 and is of suflicient length and width so that it will substantially cover the upper surface of the tray 19 when it is withdrawn as shown in Figure 3. It is normally saturated with a suitable ink material which is replenished when necessary. Forming a part of this ink pad is an overlying (as shown in Figure 3) rubberized or plastic covering 34 which is secured thereto by any suitable means such as sewing and is provided for a purpose hereinafter to be described.

The free end 36 of ink pad 33 is provided with a rod 37 which can 'be fastened to the ink pad by any suitable means such as by forming a loop in the ink pad and passing the rod through the loop. A handle 38 is provided for grasping the rod 37.

Suitable extensions 42 and 43 may be provided for covering the rollers Hand 22. Extension 42 should be wide enough to fit over the end 26 of tray 19 as shown in Figure 2, and extension 43 should be narrow enough to permit the removal of tray 19 by handle 44. Notches 47 and hooks 48 are provided on extension 42 for a purpose hereinafter to be described.

As shown in Figure 2, when the ink pad is in the retracted position, the free end of the ink padis detained by the extension 43 engaging rod 37. In this position, the ink pad lies underneath the horizontal tray 19 with the rubberized or plastic covering facing downward and substantially all of the flexible strip 31 is wound upon the roller 22.

As shown in Figure 3, when the ink pad is in the withdrawn position, the rod 37 is engaged by the notches 47 and hooks 48 and the ink pad overlies substantially all of the upper surface of the horizontal tray 19. The flexible strip 31 is substantially unwound from roller 22 and underlies the horizontal tray 19.

The horizontal tray 19 is adapted to receive a plurality of impression receiving sheets 51 which are prevented from becoming displaced by the side walls 13 and 14 of the frame 11 and the end walls 24 and 26 of the tray 19. The impression receiving sheets 51 may be mounted in pad form or may be torn from a roll of suitable paper.

A size measuring member 56 is shown in Figure 5 and may be made of any suitable material such as a fiat piece of transparent plastic. The shape of the member 56 corresponds substantially to the shape of the insole of a shoe of the same size and width. The member is provided with a plurality of Width indicating indicia 57.

Operation of the device may briefly be described as follows: Let it be assumed that the device is in the position shown in Figures 1 and 2 and that one or more impression receiving sheets 51 have been placed in the horizontal tray 19. Let it also be assumed that the ink pad 33 has been inked with a suitable ink material. The ink pad 33 is then withdrawn by pulling on the handle 38, and secured in an impression transferring relationship with respect to the uppermost impression receiving sheet 51, by placing the rod 37 in the notches 47. A child, who is to be fitted with shoes, then walks longitudinally across the top of the ink pad 33 in his stocking feet in a normal Walking stride. feet upon the ink pad 33 cause imprints to be transferred to the uppermost impression receiving sheet 51 such as shown by imprint 61 in Figure 6.

After the imprints have been made, the rod 37 is lifted from the notches 47 and the spring loaded roller assembly 22 automatically rotates in a counterclockwise direction (Figure 2) and causes the strip 31 to be wound thereupon thereby retracting the ink pad 33 into the retracted position shown in Figure 2. The impression receiving sheet upon which the imprints have been made may then be removed for examination.

The imprints will have darker and lighter areas indicating the relative Weight distribution upon the feet. A person skilled in the art can tell immediately whether the weight distribution on the feet is proper or improper merely by examining the imprints. Any malformations such as fiat feet and bunions can be immediately spotted. Various stages of pronation can be readily detected and thus corrective action may be immediately taken to overcome it.

After the foot imprints have been examined to determine the weight distribution of the feet, a suitable size measuring member 56 is selected in such a manner that the length of the member extends a thumbs width over the edge of the toes as in accepted practice. Normally a plurality of size measuring members 56 are provided,

the members being dimensioned to correspond to the various sizes of shoes.

Thus, by selecting the proper sized measuring member and superimposing it upon the foot impression 61, a shoe salesman can readily determine the exact size of shoe required by the child. The Width of the shoe is determined merely by gauging the imprint 61 with the indicia 57.

At the same time the salesman is determining the size of shoe required by the child in the above manner, he also takes into consideration the other facts which he has gleaned from the foot imprints such as any malformations which are apparent from improper weight distribution.

The pressures of his The shoes of the proper size are then selected and fitted to the childs feet. If desired, the fit of the shoes may be checked by feeling how the shoes fit the feet.

After the child has been fitted with shoes, the impression receiving sheet containing the imprints of the child is marked with the childs name and address together with the size of the shoe with which he was fitted. The sheet is then filed away for future reference to be used when the child again returns for new shoes. In this manner, it will be possible to determine what progress is being made with respect to correcting abnormalities or malformations of the feet.

It is apparent from the foregoing that I have provided a new and improved foot measuring device which is especially helpful in fitting shoes on childrens feet. The record taken by my device gives a true picture of what the feet are doing while they are walking, that is, it records the maximum pressure on each portion of the foot as the weight shifts forward from the heel to the toes. The printed record also indicates any malformations or abnormalities in the foot and indicates Whether or not the child is walking in a straight line.

It has been found that my device can be easily used by an experienced shoe salesman and that it greatly facilitates the sales of childrens shoes. Children enjoy Walking on the device and it has been found that instead of slowing down shoe sales it actually speeds up the sales because it immediately dispels any doubts as to whether or not a shoe actually fits.

I claim:

In a device for fitting shoes by taking foot imprints while walking, a substantially rectangular frame having bottom, end and side walls, a tray supported in said frame having a bottom wall in spaced relationship to the bottom wall of the frame and adapted to receive a plurality of impression receiving sheets, a transversely disposed spring loaded roller mounted at one end of said frame, a second transversely disposed rotatable roller mounted in the opposite end of said frame, a flexible strip connected to said spring loaded roller, an ink pad detachably connected to said strip, said strip and said pad being of a length that when said pad is in a fully Withdrawn position the pad will overlie said impression receiving sheets, and when said ink pad is in a retracted position, the pad will underlie said tray, and a sheet of impervious material secured to one side of said ink pad whereby when the ink pad is in a fully withdrawn position, said sheet of impervious material will overlie said ink pad, and when the ink pad is in a retracted position, said sheet of impervious material will underlie said pad.

References Cited in the tile of this patent 1 UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 17,600 Pfersdorf Feb. 18, 1930 1,225,500 Rosino May 8, 1917 1,313,048 Arrowsmith Aug. 12, 1919 

